Tag Archives: St. Patrick’s Day

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

Did you know St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in America in 1737. The event was initially organised by the Charitable Irish Society of Boston, and included a feast and religious service. This first celebration of the holiday in the colonies was a chance for the many Irish to honour and celebrate the heritage which they had been separated from.

In New York, the first modest celebration took place at the home of an Irish protestant. From little things, big things grow though, and the St. Patrick’s Day parades actually started in New York, developed by a group of Irish soldiers in the British military in 1762 who marched down Broadway. This began the tradition of a military theme in the parade.

The holiday eventually evolved from a small, homely religious dinner into the raucous international celebration we know today.

How to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Around the Globe

Copious amounts of green clothing, beer, leprechauns, dyed green food, overcrowded pubs and Irish bars can only mean one thing, St. Patrick’s Day is in the air and although this holiday feast originated in Ireland to celebrate the Patron Saint, St. Patrick, it is now celebrated throughout the world by the Irish and non-Irish alike, leading to the widely heard phrase, “Everybody wants to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.”

From Ireland, Italy, Norway, Germany, South Korea and Japan to Canada and the United States, people typically adorn themselves in at least one green clothing item and take part in this worldwide celebration each year on or around March 17th.

Join Globe Trekker Ian Wright as he attempts a gruelling hike up Croagh Patrick, where Ireland’s patron saint, St Patrick,spent 40 days of lent on this mountain, fighting demons and banishing serpents from the land. This vigil made the 2513-foot quartz peak a sacred pilgrimage site for Catholics. Full episode: http://bit.ly/1gyVmSn

St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland:photo credit: Amy Swearingen